Healthy Eating on the Go!

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Education & Awareness Raising

69 Healthy Eating on the Go!

Purpose

To learn about making healthy food choices during hectic times

Intended Audience

All employees

Suggested Activities

• Use the Healthy Eating on the Go PowerPoint presentation to

educate employees (See the attached CD).

• Place table tents on tables in kitchens, break rooms, worksite

cafeterias, boardrooms, photocopier rooms, and other key areas.

• Hand out and/or post fact sheets by elevators, on bulletin boards,

in stairwells, and in other key areas.

• Give small prizes such as fruit and vegetable bars to those

employees who fill out the crossword puzzle (See Materials—Fact

Sheets), or have a draw for those who fill out the crossword

and give out a few bigger prizes such as pedometers, fruit and

vegetable baskets, or a healthy magazine subscription.

• Arrange educational sessions on the topic to be led by a dietitian.

• Provide information on healthy eating on the go on the intranet

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Materials

• Diversity Checklist

• PowerPoint presentation: Healthy Eating on the Go

(See the attached CD.)

• Table tents

(See the attached CD and inserts at the back of this binder.)

• Fact sheet: Making Wise Food Choices Where We Live, Work and Play

(Dietitians of Canada) (See p. 71)

• Fact sheet: Make Wise Food Choices Wherever You Go! A Crossword

Puzzle (Dietitians of Canada) (See p. 73)

• Fact sheet: On the Go! … and Eating Well (Dietitians of Canada)

(See p. 75)

• How to Access a Dietitian in Nova Scotia

(See Additional Resources, p. 244)

• Intranet/newsletter messages

(See Communication Materials, p. 205)

• Healthy Eating in the Workplace Action Plan Worksheet

(See Additional Resources, p. 221)

• Healthy Eating in the Workplace Participant Evaluation Form

(See Additional Resources, p. 225)

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Education & Awareness Raising

Insert •

71 Step

Right

Up

Brought to you by:

Eat Well, Live Well

to

Heal

thy Eating

So what are some of these barriers?

Lack of access to healthy food choices.

If healthy food is not accessible or affordable, then it’s more difficult to eat well. When healthier food choices are available from vending machines, cafeteria or brought from home, we can improve the quality of what we eat.

Food is everywhere. Food is available everywhere

we go – gas stations, vending machines, department stores, movie theatres etc. As such we are continually exposed to visual cues that encourage us to eat. It’s no wonder that millions of busy Canadians often succumb to the availability of low-cost, time saving foods and choose to eat these foods rather than cooking at home.

Food advertising. Advertisements for pop, candy,

high fat snacks and large portions of fast foods are everywhere. In the US, billions of dollars are spent on advertising these foods compared to only millions spent to promote healthy eating campaigns.

Canadians are also heavily influenced by exposure to US advertising through television and print media.

The weigh it is…

There has been a rapid increase in the weight of Canadian adults over the past 15 years. According to Statistics Canada, almost 25% of Canadian adults are at a weight that negatively impacts their health. How did we get here… to our

nation’s expanding waist line crisis? Health experts believe this is a very complex issue, influenced by many factors. Making wise food choices is an important part of the picture.

However, making wise food choices is not as simple as it might seem. Personal preferences, cultural background, family income, skills and where we live, all affect our food choices. Social influences are also important as our family, friends and co-workers all play an important role in our attitude and behaviour about food choices. A key factor in making healthy food choices is the physical environment in which we live, work and play. There are barriers in today’s environment that promote intake of unhealthy food choices. We can’t expect the environment to change over night, especially when it has taken several decades to reach this point! However, if Canadians become more aware of the critical role the environment plays in impacting our food choices, it will be an important first step.

Making wise food

choices

where we

live, work and play

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Dietitians provide food and nutrition information you can trust. Find a dietitian in your area at

www.dietitians.ca/find or call 1-888-901-7776.

This Factsheet distributed compliments of: Brought to you by:

Eat Well, Live Well

Promoting Health Through Food and Nutrition

www.dietitians.ca/eatwell

Portion sizes are too big. Many foods and

bever-ages bought in restaurants come in huge portions! Food and beverage portion sizes have increased drastically, and in some cases tripled over the past 15 to 20 years. When portion sizes are large, people tend to eat more food. This makes it hard to listen to the body’s ’hunger’ and ‘full’ signals with tempting offers of “all-you-can-eat” and “two for one”.

Making it easy to make wise

food choices

Many Canadians want to make wiser food choices. To do so, we need to create environments that support healthy eating where we live, work and play.

At home

• Start by stocking up cupboards and fridges with healthy food choices. Read food labels to ensure the foods purchased are indeed healthy choices. So when you need a “grab and go” meal or snack solution, it is right at the finger tips.

At the office

• Access to vending machines, stocked with healthy food options can satisfy hunger and provide energy when needed. Make recommendations to your supervisor to look into making some changes to vending machines at the office.

• Create a “good food box” for the office and fill it with healthier choices, like dried fruit mix with nuts, rice crackers with peanut butter, canned or fresh fruit.

Eating out

• Get to know healthy cooking methods and ask lots of questions about what is in the menu items.

• Larger portion sizes encourage intake of more food than really needed. Perhaps take a portion of a meal away for another day. We no longer need to “finish what’s on the plate”.

Active living: healthy eating’s best

friend!

Canadians need environments that encourage active living to meet daily physical activity requirements for health. Over time, it has become easier to do less physical work to accomplish day to day tasks. Ride on lawn mowers, remote controls, cell phones and computers are examples of technologies that promote sedentary behaviors. You don’t even need to get out of your car to order large meals and snacks! Work place norms such as working through lunch hours, inaccessible stairwells, unsafe pathways or lack of change room facilities for active com-muters are also examples of barriers to active living.

There are many ways to encourage active living where we live, work and play:

✓

Be an advocate for walkable neighborhoods. People with access to safe and convenient places to be active in are more likely to be physically active.

✓

Explore the outdoors instead of turning on the computer, television, or watching a movie.

✓

Find a ‘buddy’ to be physically active with. Family, friends and neighbors can play an important role in creating a supportive social environment.

✓

Spend less time in the car and more time actively commuting – even if it is parking 5 minutes from your normal parking spot.

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Education & Awareness Raising

Insert •

73

1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 17 21 22 19 20 7 8 9

Down

1 Your most trusted source of nutrition information.

2 True or False: Buns, bagels and other grain products displayed in bulk bins do not require a food label.

3 The minimum number of servings to eat every day from Vegetables and Fruit.

5 When a food is labeled ‘unsweetened’, it has no ___ added to it.

6 One of the richest food sources of calcium.

8 True or False: Most often, when eating out, you can get the facts about the food you order by asking if they have nutrition information for their menu items or go to their website.

9 A fibre-rich meat alternative.

10 To find how much trans fats are in an item, look under the ___ section in the Nutrition Facts table.

12 The Nutrition Facts about a packaged food are listed in a ___ .

15 The nutrition values in the Nutrition Facts table are listed for a ___ size.

17 The scientific name of ‘salt’.

18 One of the most forgotten and neglected ‘wet’ nutrients.

20 On packaged foods, nutrients present in the greatest amount in the food must be listed ___ in the ingredient list.

Across

4 Bread and cereal products made with whole grain will list a whole

grain, such as oats and wheat, as one of the first ____ .

7 A great way to spend family meals.

11 For the most nutrition from Vegetables and Fruits, don’t look for those that are ‘light’ in color, but rather those that have a ____ color.

13 In addition to Calories, the number of nutrients that must be listed on the Nutrition Facts table.

14 Most meats are not high in steel, but rather provide ____.

16 True or False: Whole fresh fruits and vegetables require a nutrition label.

19 Before you go grocery shopping you should make a ____ .

21 Ask for this ‘on the side’ when ordering salads.

22 A healthy alternative to carbonated beverages.

A Crossword Puzzle

www.dietitians.ca/eatwell

Have fun doing this Crossword Puzzle and take

away a few reliable ideas on how to Make

Wise Food Choices.

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This Factsheet distributed compliments of:

Down

1 Dietitian;Dietitians provide food and nutrition information you can trust. Find a dietitian in your area at www.dietitians.ca/find or call 1-888-901-7776.

2 True

3 Five;Canadians should eat five to ten servings per day of Vegetables and Fruit.

5 Sugar;If ‘unsweetened’, it has no added sugars nor contains any sugar substitutes.

6 Milk Products;Milk Products provide ample amounts of calcium along with other nutrients such as protein and B vitamins. Check out the %Daily Value section of the food label to see if the food has a ‘lot’ or a ‘little’ of these nutrients.

8 True

9 Beans;Dried peas, beans and lentils are fibre-rich protein alternatives; give them a try in casseroles, chili, salads, soups, dips or wraps.

10 Fat;The amounts of Saturated and Trans Fats are both listed under the Fat section of the Nutrition Facts table; Cholesterol has its own section.

12 Table;On most prepackaged foods, Calories and 13 nutrients must be presented in a certain order.

15 Serving;The nutrient information presented in a Nutrition Facts table is based on a specific amount of food. The amount is indicated under the Nutrition Facts heading using the phrase “Serving Size or “Per (naming the serving size)”. Make sure the serving sizes are the same when you are comparing the fact panels of two products.

17 Sodium;When people talk about cutting back on salt, it’s the sodium in salt that is the culprit for many health problems. If you’re trying to reduce the amount of sodium you eat, watch for the term sodium in the ingredient list and also watch the amount of salt you use in cooking and at the table.

18 Water;Water is a key nutrient that keeps our body hydrated and running smoothly. Be sure to drink plenty of water each day.

20 First;In general, ingredients must be listed in descending order of proportion by weight, as determined before they are combined to make the food. The exceptions are spices, seasonings and herbs (except salt), natural and artificial flavours, flavour enhancers, food additives, and vitamin and mineral nutrients and their derivatives or salts, which may be shown at the end of the ingredient list in any order.

Across

4 Ingredients;You’ll know it’s a whole grain if the words ‘whole’ or ‘whole grain’ appear before the grain’s name in the ingredient list. Choose 5-12 servings of Grain Products every day.

7 Together;Make the effort and sit down to a family meal as often as possible.

11 Dark;Choose dark green and orange vegetables and orange fruit more often for the biggest nutritional bang for your buck! Remember – fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are all healthy choices.

13 Thirteen;The Nutrition Facts table provides information on energy (Calories) and thirteen nutrients, based on a serving of stated size. The Nutrition Facts table must appear on the label in the same specific manner.

14 Iron;Iron is needed to keep blood healthy and it also plays a role in many other body functions.

16 False;In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, some other foods that are exempt from nutrition labels include raw, single ingredient meat, fish and poultry items, individ-ual servings of food prepared for immediate consumption such as grocery store deli salads and sandwiches and grain products such as buns sold in bulk bins.

19 List;While some Canadians make a list and stick to it, many are tempted by impulse buying. Buy only what you need!

21 Dressing;Those little extras like mayonnaise, salad dressings, bacon, sauces and gravy can add extra fat and calories. Ask for them ‘on the side’ when ordering salads and other items.

22 Milk;Choose lower fat milk products more often such as skim, 1% and 2% milk.

Check Your Answers

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Education & Awareness Raising

Insert •

75 On the GO!...and Eating Well

Are you juggling work and family life? Going from one meeting or event to another? For most

Canadians, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to sit down and enjoy a good meal anymore!

Despite your hectic schedule, you can still eat well and stay healthy. Try these time-saving tips:

Just a minute!...

that’s all you’ll need

to make these nutritious morning meals:

• yogurt mixed with your favourite

ce-real and diced fruit (it looks great

served in a clear glass!)

• scrambled egg sandwich with a glass

of milk (beat 2 eggs in a mug, cover

and microwave for 1-1

½

minutes on

med-hi temperature)

• toasted bagel with cheese and a

glass of juice

• peanut butter on a whole grain bagel

and a glass of milk

• a container of flavoured yogurt mixed

with some milk and fruit in a blender

“I am too tired to cook everyday!”

Use pre-cut or pre-measured ingredients to save

prepa-ration time. Look for lower-fat, pre-made items such as

soups, sandwiches, quiches and pastas. Add a glass of

milk, a salad or another side dish to round out the meal.

On days when you are in the kitchen, make double batches

of your favourite recipes and freeze them in individual

servings for a fast meal.

“I seem to be in meetings all the time at

work and can’t break away for lunch or

dinner”

When you can’t get away for food, bring the food to you!

Stock your desk drawer or bookshelf with non-perishable

foods like canned fruit, milk puddings, cold cereal, whole

grain crackers, peanut butter, canned soup and juice

boxes. Remember to keep utensils, napkins, a plate or

bowl, a kettle and a can opener on hand too!

If there’s a refrigerator at work, keep it stocked with

yo-gurt, fruit, milk, juice, cheese, raw vegetables, interesting

spreads or dips, sliced meat and hard-cooked eggs.

La-bel your food with your name and the date.

“I can’t keep up with the family’s busy schedule.”

On the way home from work, pick up a ready-to-eat meal. When time is available, make some meals

ahead and freeze them or plan leftovers to use later in the week. Post a menu and leave the recipes out

so that others can start to prepare the meal. Keep healthy snacks in the car for times when you’re en

route to the kids’ sports practices. Remember to save some time for meals with your friends and family

whenever possible.

www.dietitians.ca

Dietitians of Canada

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Hurry Up Fill Me Up Burritos

(Makes 10 burritos)

These are popular after school snacks for hungry teenagers and they can make them themselves.

They are ready in 5 minutes from start to finish.

Add sour cream, shredded lettuce and extra salsa, if desired. Use pre-packaged shredded cheese and

leftover rice for even quicker preparation.

1 cup

1 1 cup

¾ cup

10 1 ¼ cup

cooked rice

can (14 oz, 398 mL) kidney beans, rinsed

kernel corn

prepared salsa

large (10 inch – 25 cm) flour tortilla (warmed)

shredded Cheddar cheese

250 mL

1 250 mL

175 mL

10 300 mL

1. Combine first four ingredients together in nonstick pan; stir over medium heat until warmed

through, about 3-4 minutes.

2. Divide mixture evenly amongst tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas.

These can be prepared in the microwave: combine rice, beans, corn and salsa in a medium bowl. Divide

mixture amongst tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Roll up. Microwave on HIGH for 30-40 seconds or until

heated through.

Per serving: 318 Calories, 47.5 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 9.0 g fat, 4.9 g fibre

Food Group Servings (per serving): 2 Grain Products, 1/2 Vegetables & Fruit, 1/2 Milk Products, 1/2 Meat & Alternatives Canadian Diabetes Association Food Choice Value (per burrito): 3 + 1 + 1

For great tasting meal solutions, look for the new Great Food Fast! cookbook published by Robert Rose

at a bookstore near you! It has over 125 healthy and tasty recipes. Here’s one recipe to get you started!

Registered Dietitians are the ideal source of reliable food and nutrition advice.

To contact a Consulting Dietitian, call 1-888-901-7776

or visit the Dietitians of Canada website at www.dietitians.ca

This factsheet can be produced in its entirety without permission.